Need a chocolate fix?! Try my easy Chocolate Bread. A simple homemade chocolate cake that’s quick and easy. No electric mixer needed.
Are there two sweeter words than Chocolate Bread? 💕
I’m completely obsessed with this gorgeous Chocolate Bread made from scratch. It’s soft, tender and filled to the brim with chocolate chips.
You don’t even need an electric mixer.
Cut into thick slices for an impressive chocolate treat!
Why you will love this recipe
- Tender crumb: This Chocolate Bread is soft and tender, and stays moist for days.
- Quick and easy: It comes together fast – and you only need pantry staples.
- No mixer: You don’t need an electric mixer, just a bowl and spoon.
- Freezer friendly: It freezes really well. You can simply defrost a slice when your chocolate cravings hit!
Great recipe!! Have made it several occasions – birthday party, for co-workers and for the family. Everyone loved it.
– Cheryl
Recipe testing
One of the most popular recipes on Sweetest Menu is my Chocolate Banana Bread. So when I had the idea of developing a pure Chocolate Bread recipe, I knew just where to start.
And this Chocolate Bread might be even better because you don’t have to wait until you have spotty bananas sitting in your fruit bowl to get your chocolate fix.
This simple mix-and-stir quick bread recipe is super easy to make, but proves to be quite a decadent treat.
Perfect for chocolate lovers!
Ingredients
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make my Chocolate Loaf Cake. Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients you’ll need, including any substitutions you can make.
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- Cocoa powder: This cake gets its rich chocolate flavour from cocoa powder. You can use natural unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa. Don’t use sweetened cocoa.
- Caster sugar: Or granulated sugar.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar is the way to go here.
- Butter: Instead of using vegetable oil, this recipe uses butter for extra flavour. If you use salted butter, omit the salt included in the recipe.
- Buttermilk: I recommend using full fat storebought buttermilk for best results. If you don’t have access to buttermilk, you can use 1/2 cup regular milk and 1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream. Otherwise, you can try a DIY buttermilk substitute, by adding 1 tablespoon (15ml) of white vinegar to 240 ml (1 cup) of whole or full fat milk.
- Chocolate chips: You can use milk or dark chocolate chips – whatever you prefer. Even white chocolate chips, Caramilk chips or peanut butter chips would work! Or you can leave them out.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Chocolate Bread
This is an easy mix-and-stir recipe (no mixer needed). Here’s how to make it in six simple steps. Detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugars. Stir briefly.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, add melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Stir with a fork to break up the egg yolks.
Step 3: Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, along with the buttermilk.
Step 4: Gently stir until combined. Stir through chocolate chips.
Step 5: Transfer mixture to prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
Step 6: Bake chocolate bread for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Recipe tips
- Weigh your ingredients: For best results, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients using a baking scale. It’s very easy to over-measure ingredients like flour and cocoa when using cup measurements which can result in a dry or tough cake.
- Avoid over-mixing your cake batter: Use a spatula and a gentle hand to mix your cake batter. Over-mixing will make a dry and dense loaf.
- Don’t over-bake your cake: You’ll know your cake is ready when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached.
- Freeze leftovers: To maintain freshness, consider freezing any leftover slices after day 1. Then simply thaw a slice at room temperature or microwave for 15-20 seconds when you are ready to enjoy.
Frequently asked questions
You may have added too much flour and/or cocoa powder. Be sure to measure your dry ingredients using a baking scale for accuracy. It’s almost important not to over-mix your cake batter or over-bake your cake.
The acidity in buttermilk helps to act as a tenderiser in baked goods, resulting in soft and tender cakes, muffins, scones and pancakes. Buttermilk can also help cakes to rise when it reacts with baking soda.
If you don’t have access to buttermilk, you can use 1/2 cup regular milk and 1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream. Otherwise, you can try a DIY buttermilk substitute, by adding 1 tablespoon (15ml) of white vinegar to 240 ml (1 cup) of whole or full fat milk.
Cut Chocolate Bread into thick slices and serve as is. Or top a slice with fresh cream, berries or a scoop of ice-cream. You could also frost with chocolate ganache for something a little more fancy.
More loaf cake recipes
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Let’s Bake
Chocolate Bread recipe
An easy one bowl Chocolate Bread filled with chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 175 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 40 grams (1/2 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) full fat buttermilk
- 120 grams (3/4 cup) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Grease and line your 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with baking or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, brown sugar and caster sugar. Gently stir.
- In a separate small bowl, add melted butter, vanilla and eggs. Whisk with a fork just to break up the egg yolks.
- Make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients along with buttermilk. Stir gently using a spatula until the mixture is combined – be careful not to over-mix.
- Stir through 75 grams (1/2 cup) of chocolate chips to the batter.
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan and sprinkle the extra 35 grams (1/4 cup) of chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
Cocoa powder: This cake gets its chocolate flavour from cocoa powder. You can use natural cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa. Don’t use sweetened cocoa.
Buttermilk: I recommend using full fat storebought buttermilk for best results. If you don’t have access to buttermilk, you can use 1/2 cup regular milk and 1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream. Otherwise, you can try a DIY buttermilk substitute, by adding 1 tablespoon (15ml) of white vinegar to 240 ml (1 cup) of whole or full fat milk.
Chocolate chips: You can use milk or dark chocolate chips – whatever you prefer. Even white chocolate chips, Caramilk chips or peanut butter chips would work!
Bake time: If your Chocolate Bread starts to go too brown on top by the 30 minute mark, cover loaf with aluminum foil for the remaining cook time.
Storage: Once your Chocolate Bread is completely cooled, you can store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Alternatively, you can slice into thick slices, cover them in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container in the freezer. To enjoy, simply thaw at room temperature, or microwave a slice for 15-20 seconds.
Nutrition Information
Kim Hall says
Following recipe as written
I was able to make three mini loafs out of this recipe waiting for them to come out of the oven as we speak can’t wait !!
Jessica Holmes says
How lovely! Thanks Kim!
Leo says
hi,i want to know if i make it without the chocolate chips,does it affect the bread’s texture?would it be less moist?thank u
n ur recipes r wonderful btw:) i haven’t try this one but the chocolate chips cookie n the peach cake recipe r amazing n all my frds loved them
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Leo, you can definitely leave out the chocolate chips if you prefer. The bread will be still be lovely and moist! So glad you love my Peach Cake!
Beth says
Wow wow wow, this was a last minute decision to make this and omg what a recipe. We used the stated ingredients plus a bit of chocolate sauce squirted in the middle before layering the other half of the mix on and baked for approx 45-50 minutes. Let it cool completely and it was perfect. My partner isn’t a big cake person and he had 2 slices! Absolute winner I’m shocked
Jessica Holmes says
Wow that sounds incredible Beth! So glad you and your partner enjoyed this one.
Shae says
Jessica, youre a dessert goddess & l thank youuuuu!! Turned out so freaking good. The BEST chocolate bread ive ever had. Tender crumb, soft and not dry in the least. Cuts like a dream. I wanted to change the flavour up a bit as i wanted something to cut through the chocolate on this occasion. So I used the vanilla as called for and added another teaspoon of peppermint extract…and went crazy with chopped pieces of Aero mint bars and every minty chocolate i could find in the house. I also used half a cup of greek yoghurt instead of a quarter just because it seemed to make the batter the right consistency after all the extra chocolate. And my heavenly cherubs, it came out perfect. Beautiful recipe and im so thankful you share them with your readers. LOVE IT. Will be making again and again. So many ways to vary this too. xxxx
Jessica Holmes says
This is so lovely to hear! I love that you made a peppermint version – how special! Thank you for your kind feedback.
Kris Hughes says
I’m looking for an easy loaf cake, or pound cake recipe, but I’m a bit puzzled by this one. I was always told that the natural acids in cocoa powder were sufficient to cause the necessary reaction with baking soda, which suggests to me that buttermilk might be overkill? Plus, if you’re using buttermilk and soda in a cake, do you really need baking powder as well?
Interested to hear your thoughts.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Kris, the buttermilk helps create a lovely soft and light bread, so it’s not about the reaction with the baking soda there. I found a little baking powder helped with lift but you are welcome to experiment on your own. You might actually prefer my Chocolate Pound Cake recipe.
Carmen Castro says
I made this chocolate bread for my whole family we all loved it. I turned it into a holiday peppermint chocolate bread by swapping the vanilla extract with 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract, adding an icing and crushed mints on top. Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
Jessica Holmes says
Ooh I love that idea! So glad you and the family enjoyed it!
Jessica says
I love it. I’ve made it twice. First time I accidentally used 1 cup of buttermilk instead of 3/4 cup. The second time I used 3/4 cup buttermilk and it was slightly dry. I will probably be using slightly more buttermilk when I make it. Overall a great recipe for a beginner baker like me. I love your recipes.
Jessica Holmes says
Thanks for the feedback Jessica! So glad you enjoyed it.
Laura VanDerWerken says
Easy to make, delicious, most and soft. 5 stars!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! So glad you loved it Laura!
FATIMA YUSUF says
Yummy
Louise says
Followed your recipe to a T other than I only had black cocoa powder vs the normal but that did not impact anything other than my loaf was super dark. All our kids (17, 20, 30) LOVED it, as did my husband who never eats chocolate because he doesn’t like chocolate but he LOVED this bread! I did too. Definitely a keeper recipe
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Louise!
Michael says
I am fairly new at baking and think I understand the basic concepts. I made the bread as the recipe reads. It came out dry and had to bake close to 60 minutes to be done. I’ve tried again with some changes. I creamed the butter and sugar, lightly beat in eggs and used a full cup of buttermilk. Also added a tablespoon of oil…. have I scared you yet? Baked an hour and it came out great. I really want to learn, so please feel free to correct my mad scientist approach!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Michael, glad you enjoyed it, and good on you for experimenting!